Policymakers, health experts urged to adopt tobacco harm reduction Strategy in Africa

Policy makers and health experts have urged Africa to adopt the Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategy to combat tobacco-related deaths and improve public health across the continent.

Africa was called to emulate Sweden, who for the past 15 years, has reduced its smoking rates from 15 percent in 2008 to 5.6 percent today, the is lowest smoking rates in Europe with corresponding health impact.

This call was made at a webinar, hosted by the African Harm Reduction Alliance (AHRA) to discuss the urgency to implement the THR, recently.

They noted that Sweden now has a 41 percent lower incidence of cancer than other European countries, and a 39 percent lower mortality rate than the European average from all tobacco related diseases. These achievements highlight Sweden’s smoke-free strategy and underscores the potential benefits of adopting a similar approach in other societies.

The strategy involves acceptance of less harmful alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches, vapes, and heated tobacco products while ensuring that those alternatives are known to, available and affordable to the general public. These alternatives provide a pathway for smokers to transition away from combustible cigarettes, to non-combustible tobacco or nicotine alternatives that significantly reduce the exposure to harmful chemicals produced by smoking.

Secretary General, AHRA, Dr. Delon Human, said that the efforts are all about saving and improving the quality of life for smokers who have been unable to quit. “Harm reduction is their way out; it’s their fire escape.”

Global Health Consultant and Founder, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Dr. Derek Yach, warned against the use of harm-reduction products and stressed the need for better access to reduced-risk alternatives and more accurate diagnostics for tobacco-related conditions.

He said, “If we miss the opportunity to adopt THR, a review in a few years time will show that we have actually forgone the opportunity to save, many, many lives.”

Consumer Advocate, Kurt Yeo, called for a rethinking of the approach to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the potential of THR in addressing the smoking pandemic issue.

According to the panelists, Nigeria, needs to begin to consider implementing robust tobacco control policies that promote tobacco harm reduction and reduced risk alternatives for smokers who want to but cannot quit. Policymakers, public health professionals and the scientific community need to foster international research collaboration, ensure that accurate and evidence-based information is readily available to consumers, and actively engage in constructive dialogue among a diverse array of stakeholders.